stretching back from white teeth. He had two large canines on both upper and lower jaw which would put a vampire to shame.
Heat mounted her cheeks. She looked away only to find everyone else in the room had watched her while she ogled the gargoyle’s altered form. Great. The wave of heat spread down her neck, but she raised her head and pretended she was a queen and these were her subjects. It lasted until her brother entered the living room from the kitchen followed by her uncle. The two men glanced at the gargoyle and then at Lillian’s face.
Her brother tried to say something, but he started laughing and couldn’t get it out.
She glared at him. It wasn’t her fault the damn gargoyle had suddenly decided he wanted to look more appealing for the three pretty dryads sitting across from her. He’d had plenty of time to wander around looking sinfully handsome and he hadn’t bothered for her. Not knowing what else to do, she pretended she hadn’t just spent the last five minutes checking Gregory out. She gave her grandmother a baffled look for good measure.
Gran didn’t bother to hide her smirk. “Jason, see if any of your clothes will fit the gargoyle. The nights still get cold.”
Gregory reached for Lillian’s hand where it rested against the arm rest. Caught by surprise, she let him intertwine his fingers with hers. Baffled, she studied his features to discern his mood. His expression remained blank a moment, and then with a sudden smile, he turned and dropped to sit cross–legged on the floor at her feet. He leaned back against her legs, and place her captured hand on his right shoulder, then laid his own over top. She would have jerked free of his grasp if it wouldn’t have made her look the greater fool. Fixing her gaze on the back of his head, she willed a calm mask to cover her rioting emotions.
Chapter Nine
Not for the first time in his many lives, Gregory wished he was just a gargoyle and Lillian was simply the woman he loved. But no amount of wishing on his part could make them anything other than the Avatars. Lillian was the Mother’s Sorceress. He was the God–blessed Protector. Nothing could even change that fact—stone was more flexible. Yet he still played this stupid and dangerous game with the Sorceress. He couldn’t help himself. Anger had stirred in his gut when the dryads talked of him as if he was a stud to win over with words of seduction and coy looks. Then Lillian had said she didn’t want him, that the young one with the look of a predator could have him. He narrowed his eyes, the ache in his heart still too fresh.
While the Divine Ones forbade their Avatars from mating with each other, his lady had always loved him without uncertainties or regrets throughout their many lifetimes. Even if they never fulfilled their deepest longing for fear of birthing a monster with godlike power upon the three Realms, they had their millennia–enduring love to rely upon when sadness became bitter. Until now, when the Sorceress had said she didn’t want her Gargoyle.
Her careless words had hurt more than he’d ever let her know, but the sting had diminished moments later when she defended him from the other young dryad. His lips turned up at the memory of how Lillian had said she would do many unpleasant things to the foolish youngling if Kayla tried to coerce him into mating with her. Not that Kayla could have tricked him. Nothing would make him even consider mating with her. He glanced at Kayla. She was pretty enough. It wasn’t her form which repelled him. It was her expression. She stared at him with hunger bordering on obsession. No, he would never mate with her.
When he inhaled a deep lungful of air, it was impossible to not taste Lillian’s essence, they sat so close. It was sap sweet, but thankfully lacked the heady tang of her blood. He’d already broken one oath to save her life. How many others would she tempt him to break in this life? He glanced down at his hybrid form.
Heat mounted her cheeks. She looked away only to find everyone else in the room had watched her while she ogled the gargoyle’s altered form. Great. The wave of heat spread down her neck, but she raised her head and pretended she was a queen and these were her subjects. It lasted until her brother entered the living room from the kitchen followed by her uncle. The two men glanced at the gargoyle and then at Lillian’s face.
Her brother tried to say something, but he started laughing and couldn’t get it out.
She glared at him. It wasn’t her fault the damn gargoyle had suddenly decided he wanted to look more appealing for the three pretty dryads sitting across from her. He’d had plenty of time to wander around looking sinfully handsome and he hadn’t bothered for her. Not knowing what else to do, she pretended she hadn’t just spent the last five minutes checking Gregory out. She gave her grandmother a baffled look for good measure.
Gran didn’t bother to hide her smirk. “Jason, see if any of your clothes will fit the gargoyle. The nights still get cold.”
Gregory reached for Lillian’s hand where it rested against the arm rest. Caught by surprise, she let him intertwine his fingers with hers. Baffled, she studied his features to discern his mood. His expression remained blank a moment, and then with a sudden smile, he turned and dropped to sit cross–legged on the floor at her feet. He leaned back against her legs, and place her captured hand on his right shoulder, then laid his own over top. She would have jerked free of his grasp if it wouldn’t have made her look the greater fool. Fixing her gaze on the back of his head, she willed a calm mask to cover her rioting emotions.
Chapter Nine
Not for the first time in his many lives, Gregory wished he was just a gargoyle and Lillian was simply the woman he loved. But no amount of wishing on his part could make them anything other than the Avatars. Lillian was the Mother’s Sorceress. He was the God–blessed Protector. Nothing could even change that fact—stone was more flexible. Yet he still played this stupid and dangerous game with the Sorceress. He couldn’t help himself. Anger had stirred in his gut when the dryads talked of him as if he was a stud to win over with words of seduction and coy looks. Then Lillian had said she didn’t want him, that the young one with the look of a predator could have him. He narrowed his eyes, the ache in his heart still too fresh.
While the Divine Ones forbade their Avatars from mating with each other, his lady had always loved him without uncertainties or regrets throughout their many lifetimes. Even if they never fulfilled their deepest longing for fear of birthing a monster with godlike power upon the three Realms, they had their millennia–enduring love to rely upon when sadness became bitter. Until now, when the Sorceress had said she didn’t want her Gargoyle.
Her careless words had hurt more than he’d ever let her know, but the sting had diminished moments later when she defended him from the other young dryad. His lips turned up at the memory of how Lillian had said she would do many unpleasant things to the foolish youngling if Kayla tried to coerce him into mating with her. Not that Kayla could have tricked him. Nothing would make him even consider mating with her. He glanced at Kayla. She was pretty enough. It wasn’t her form which repelled him. It was her expression. She stared at him with hunger bordering on obsession. No, he would never mate with her.
When he inhaled a deep lungful of air, it was impossible to not taste Lillian’s essence, they sat so close. It was sap sweet, but thankfully lacked the heady tang of her blood. He’d already broken one oath to save her life. How many others would she tempt him to break in this life? He glanced down at his hybrid form.
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